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I SPY: A new book explains how applying the CIA’s tricks of the trade can help your career.

The duties of a CIA spy — locating terrorists, stopping nukes, collecting state secrets — aren’t a part of most people’s job description.

But that doesn’t mean workers can’t learn a thing or two from an ex-CIA undercover officer. After a disappointing run in the tech sector, J.C. Carleson worked clandestinely for Langley in counterterrorism and anti-WMD proliferation for almost a decade. Now a writer and consultant based in Williamsburg, Va., she’s collected the lessons she learned from covert work in her newly published book, “Work Like a Spy: Business Tips From a Former CIA Agent.”

Carleson’s most important tip? Don’t make the mistake of winging it like MacGyver. A CIA spy doesn’t go in half-cocked — she’s prepared.

“Do your homework upfront to determine who has the information you want or who can make the decision you want,” says Carleson, who left the agency in 2010.

Carleson shared with @work some other business lessons she learned while chasing down terrorists and stopping WMDs. Take a look:

Lights, camera, action

Projecting confidence is key to success, and if you don’t have it, that doesn’t mean you can’t fake it — even under the pressure-packed conditions faced by a CIA operative.

Carleson suggests channeling your inner Dustin Hoffman: Try acting. “A big part of undercover work is playing a role. If you are feeling anxious, what helped me was to think of it as a role,” she says. How do you do that? Put together something that isn’t necessarily “anxious you” going forward. “Get rid of some of the personal baggage in order to play this role, almost like an actor,” she says.

Stay out of LinkedIn

Count Carleson as one of the few career experts who isn’t dazzled by social media.

Even putting your résumé on LinkedIn carries risks, she says.

“As a junior person without much experience, you’re putting out a junior-level résumé. You can always update, but you never know who’s going to remember that impression of the junior person when years later you’re ready for a senior position,” says Carleson. “You’ve already established a public perception of someone who’s still learning.”

She counsels to keep your involvement to a minimum — if you must at all. Post anonymously or under an alias until you feel comfortable with revealing your identity.

“But always have the ability to disappear if things go wrong,” she adds.

Elevator pitch, going down

Elevator pitches — scripted, 30-second presentations for any situation that many career experts insist can open doors — are counterproductive, according to Carleson.

“It’s a canned pitch,” she says.

“The CIA approach would be far more gradual,” she adds. “If you find yourself in an elevator with a decision-maker, and you really want something from that person, don’t shove an aggressive pitch down his throat.”

Instead, use those 30 seconds to get what Carleson calls a “second date,” a k a another chance to meet. Use what spies call a “hook” — a bit of information or personal connection based on a mutual interest that creates another opportunity to get together.

“Establishing an ongoing relationship is a key to trust,” says Carleson.

Know thyself

All of us have flaws, and it’s as critical in business as it is in espionage to recognize them so they don’t trip us up.

“Part of working like a spy is self-awareness. You need to understand your own blind spots and your own bad habits. A big part is understanding which of your behaviors tends to alienate people,” says Carleson.

If self-evaluation still leaves you clueless to your flaws, enlist help — have a friend videotape how you conduct a presentation, for instance. Wait a few days, and then look it over to see what annoying tics you might have.

Don’t be a snob

Networking with folks above your current position is fine and dandy, but to do so at the expense of co-workers below your pay grade is a mistake, says Carleson.

Networking is “about maintaining and creating good relationships — at all levels. That’s the key I can’t emphasize enough,” she says.

For example, most career networking is focused upward — but building an intelligence network requires an appreciation for information that can come from all levels.

“You never know who’s going to have the tip,” Carleson notes.

“It’s as simple as saying ‘hi’ to the guard when everybody else ignores him,” she adds.

Be a Renaissance worker

Since relationships are vital in the business world — as in the spy world — it’s crucial to know what’s going on around you.

“A huge part of the spy world is about developing rapport,” she adds. For example? Having a conversation about something that happened in the news or recommending a good book to somebody you know who’s a reader.